Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Oxbridge 2024 Entry

988 replies

Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 13:52

Thought I'd start a thread for parents of dc considering Oxbridge applications for entry in Oct 2024 (I don't think there's a current one)? Past threads have been so informative and supportive and hopefully this thread will offer that too. Please feel free to add to the thread if your dc have recently had experience of the process, good, bad or ugly!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Original poster
Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 13:55

Ds is hoping to apply for Chemistry or possibly Natural Sciences but is also eyeing up Earth Sciences. He's not really that engaged with the whole uni process yet but we're hoping to do the open days. We have no direct experience of Oxbridge although a relative went to Cambridge for a different subject. She received contextual support but ds will not be eligible. He attends a selective state school.

OP posts:
IThinkIMadeItWorse · 28/02/2023 13:59

Cambridge have some masterclasses for year 12 coming up. More info here www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/masterclasses

yoyo1234 · 28/02/2023 14:22

There are webinvars free online (DS and DH looked at one that compared entry into universities in the States and Oxbridge to get pointers). Find out if there are any entrance exams for the courses and look at when they need to be applied for and look for sources of free past papers online. Familiarity and checking out when deadlines for things are is important.

BrieAndChilli · 28/02/2023 14:41

please can I join this thread although DS1 will be 2025 applicant? be useful to get some tips.

DS is in year 11 and is part of the seren project which has links with oxford - he went up for a tour and lunch. Will being part of this give him any advantage on his application?

He wants to apply for Astrophysics.

yoyo1234 · 28/02/2023 14:47

@BrieAndChilli I would get him to note down anything that he had done linked with his subject and what he learnt/enjoyed about it. Especially get written down work experience opportunities or personal research in the area he's done. All this could help with personal statements (I know format is changing though) but good to have things to jog his memory in potential interviews etc 😀. On interview DS had 1 out of his 4 questions on his Personal Statement.

redrobin75 · 28/02/2023 15:03

Over on WIWIKAU on Facebook a poster has posted the 2023 entrance exam dates for 24 entry.

Original poster
Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 15:29

Thank you @IThinkIMadeItWorse and @yoyo1234 - great information. It's so difficult to sift through the mountain of info out there so this helps.

@BrieAndChilli, I'm not sure but hopefully some others reading can help. Ds applied for a scheme like this - he didn't get on it and they said that although they offer targeted support, there is no guarantee of an interview etc. However, your scheme may be different.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 15:30

Thank you @redrobin75 - that's sobering!

OP posts:
SpringRumba · 28/02/2023 15:34

As the parent of a DC who has an offer from O for this year, I'd say not to put too much (i.e., a disproportionate amount) effort in to the process as judging by this year's thread, a lot of very able kids get rejected.

My DC only chose their subject last summer, had no extra curriculars, no fancy work experience etc but is bright and works their arse off to get good grades. Non-selective state school that usually sends up to 5 ish kids a year to Oxbridge so they supported to some extent with mock interviews. DC's STEM subject didn't require an entrance exam. We, despite being highly educated ourselves, had no prior experience with Oxbridge so couldn't really help other than commenting on the PS and posing some non-subject specific mock questions. I was surprised they got an offer as they won't even speak up to order food in a restaurant let alone respond well in an interview.

Some parents seem to get overly invested in the process and personally offended when their DC are rejected despite having eleventy A stars and personal recommendations from Mother Theresa.

spacechimp79 · 28/02/2023 15:35

Hey all and thanks for the thread @Lightsabre

My DS is considering on applying to Oxford for PPE. We have had a quick look around the city and a few of the colleges as can't make the open days in June.

He will get plenty of support from school if he wants and I'm thinking at the moment that he will probably just do an open application as it sounds tricky to decide on which college to choose.

redskydelight · 28/02/2023 15:38

DD is considering. Currently leaning towards "not". Ultimately it's her decision, but I want to make sure she makes an informed one (she goes to a school where she won't really get any guidance in this respect).

What ultimately would decide your DC?
Is it worth a punt even if not sure?

Can anyone help with a pros/cons list?
(My starter for 10 below)

Pros
well renowned (though likely to not open as many doors as historically as employers etc move to anonymous recruitment)
Will challenge a bright students
Good peer group
Strong research - likely to spill over into UG teaching
Small group teaching

Cons
More pressurised than other universities
Everyone will be bright so a very clever student will look unremarkable
High requirement to write lots of essays (for essay writing subjects)
Tradition may be off putting
Reputation of "posh"

Original poster
Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 15:38

SpringRumba · 28/02/2023 15:34

As the parent of a DC who has an offer from O for this year, I'd say not to put too much (i.e., a disproportionate amount) effort in to the process as judging by this year's thread, a lot of very able kids get rejected.

My DC only chose their subject last summer, had no extra curriculars, no fancy work experience etc but is bright and works their arse off to get good grades. Non-selective state school that usually sends up to 5 ish kids a year to Oxbridge so they supported to some extent with mock interviews. DC's STEM subject didn't require an entrance exam. We, despite being highly educated ourselves, had no prior experience with Oxbridge so couldn't really help other than commenting on the PS and posing some non-subject specific mock questions. I was surprised they got an offer as they won't even speak up to order food in a restaurant let alone respond well in an interview.

Some parents seem to get overly invested in the process and personally offended when their DC are rejected despite having eleventy A stars and personal recommendations from Mother Theresa.

Grin. This made me laugh. Yes, I'm treating it as kind of separate to the main applications - a long shot really. My ds very much as you describe yours.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 15:53

@redskydelight, hopefully those with current experience can say why their dc decided to apply. Your pro's and con's list is good. I suppose if dc see a subject they like and enjoy the small group/1-1 tutor system then it's worth a punt. I was always under the impression that a dc had to live and breathe their subject for Oxbridge and I'm sure that does help to get a passion across at interview. However, as @SpringRumba 's ds experience shows, this doesn't necessarily have to be the case (and that's quite heartening too as there isn't always equal access to experiences that can enhance an application).

OP posts:
ClarasZoo · 28/02/2023 15:55

Lightsabre · 28/02/2023 13:55

Ds is hoping to apply for Chemistry or possibly Natural Sciences but is also eyeing up Earth Sciences. He's not really that engaged with the whole uni process yet but we're hoping to do the open days. We have no direct experience of Oxbridge although a relative went to Cambridge for a different subject. She received contextual support but ds will not be eligible. He attends a selective state school.

You probably know this but you do Earth Sciences through the Natural Sciences route. You can also swap about each year. So for example you can start off doing a lot of Physics and Maths, say, in year 1 at Cambridge and switch to other subjects (Earth Sciences) in future years. The Cambridge system is really good I think in that you can mix subjects round a lot...

SpringRumba · 28/02/2023 15:58

Because my DC gets (very) good grades they felt almost obliged to apply for medicine or equivalent but they have no interest in that (and a terrible bedside manner). Oxbridge offered an alternative in prestige but with the freedom of choosing any course. I admit I pushed them into it and part of that was probably because it makes me immensely proud they got an offer but I was equally proud they were even applying.

O publishes a list of books to read around the subject and I bought a couple last summer, which they read and referenced in their PS but that's about all they did to show passion for the subject.

ClarasZoo · 28/02/2023 15:59

Pro - Oxbridge is very cheap for accommodation and extras (field trips for example are very reasonable).
Not really as posh as you might think.
Generally accommodation is provided by the college each year so there is no stress in finding your own!

Con - 8 week terms don't leave a lot of room for fun. It's very high pressured.

SpringRumba · 28/02/2023 16:00

Also, for their subject, at the open day the admissions talk was explicitly clear that they give no weight to impressive extra curriculas due to the inequity of access as mentioned above.

yoyo1234 · 28/02/2023 16:16

Having been to an offer holder's day for DS , I was struck by the support mechanisms they had in place for students (wellbeing and financial). It felt with 1-2-1 and small supervisory sessions and tutor meetings at beginning and end of terms it felt the students were being seen. The system is also short terms and holidays eg Christmas to revise and then exams on return. This (to me) is in someway a better structure (and for me ) I think I would find it less pressured than sone courses at other universities. Students said there that term time is to focus on work set for next supervision and deal with revision at the end.

yoyo1234 · 28/02/2023 16:17

I felt (far) more comfortable with DS potentially going there than where I went.

FlyingSquid · 28/02/2023 16:23

A minor con, if you need it:
Some colleges have no cooking facilities. A student can be pooled to a college not of their choice, and be at the mercy of college cooking for the whole of their first year.

Not that DD is bitter about this or anything, you understand (even if it’s her second most mentioned gripe after ‘whyyyyyy can’t we have a reading week mid term to catch up on sleep?’).

Rollergirl11 · 28/02/2023 18:16

DD is thinking about Oxbridge for English Lit. Her college have arranged preliminary meetings to discuss early applications in the next few weeks.

DD heard from someone that Oxbridge don’t allow you to have a part time job if you’re studying there. Does anyone know if this is true?

yoyo1234 · 28/02/2023 18:28

At ds 's offer day the idea of a part time job was raised. It was obviously strongly disencourged. The said there were financial tutors who would look into grants for struggling students and they did not want lack of funds to be a reason to stop studying there (or not go there). They did say though that certain jobs (eg student college bar, tours of college etc) could be looked into.

yoyo1234 · 28/02/2023 18:30

Oxbridge has the money to help out students. Colleges have hardship and travel funds .

HoneyMobster · 28/02/2023 21:48

You'd find it really difficult to fit in a part time job in term time. DS1 and DD couldn't do it (Chemistry and Medicine) - there just isn't time.

They do paid work in the holidays a little. Just ad hoc stuff in the shorter holidays - a bit of bar work and music teaching. DS1 also worked for two weeks at a major sporting event local to us last summer and DD will join him this year.

But term time working just doesn't work given the short terms and workload.

Norma27 · 01/03/2023 07:52

Hi! My daughter is thinking of applying for Oxford. She is at a low achieving comp and got into a history taster day last week and now accepted on the UNIQ programme for French. She is thinking of applying for History and French.
Looking forward to this thread. What are peoples opinions on open college applications or applying for specific college? Some don’t accept history and mfl every year.